


Gwaine's Misadventures in Babysitting

by fictionalinfinity



Series: Destiny Rewritten [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Babysitting, Court Sorcerer Merlin (Merlin), Dad!Merlin, Fluff, Gen, Magic Revealed, Poor Gwaine, arthur's kids, merlin's kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 15:17:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20084356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalinfinity/pseuds/fictionalinfinity
Summary: Gwaine didn't know what he was getting himself into when he agreed to watch Merlin's children





	Gwaine's Misadventures in Babysitting

**Author's Note:**

> figured I'd just write some fluff! part of my 'five times merlin...' verse, but can be read as standalone. hope you enjoy!

Gwaine struggled to not doze off as Arthur droned on. He couldn’t even tell what they were debating after having been out of it for so long. When was the last time he’d gone to the tavern? It felt like it had been forever, but it couldn’t have been, right? Well, he’d have to rectify it soon... Oh great, now what were they talking about?

Everyone looked at him expectantly. “Well, Gwaine? Can you do it?” Merlin asked him, looking hopeful. Gwaine scrambled to make it look like he hadn’t just been daydreaming about booze. 

“Oh, yeah, definitely, you got it mate,” Gwaine replied, nodding furiously. Merlin smiled. 

“Thanks! The children keep refusing to stay with any of the hired help, so we were hoping one of you would be able to help…”

Wait. Had he just agreed to do what he  _ thought  _ he just agreed to do? There was no way…

As Arthur dismissed the members of the Round Table, Gwaine hurried over to Percival. “You’ve got to help me, mate! I can’t watch over those children by myself!”

“Did you not hear all of us say we were busy?” Percival raised an eyebrow, but he must have seen that Gwaine showed no recognition of that. “Ah, dozing off, were you?” Gwaine nodded and Percival laughed. 

“Well, Merlin and Freya are off to settle some dispute between a few druid clans, and the rest of us knights have duties to attend to. You’re on your own I’m afraid,” Percival shrugged sympathetically. “Besides, the kids love you. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” With a final pat on the shoulder, Percival went his own way. 

Gwaine made his way to his chambers, desperate to find a way out of his predicament. Sure, he cared about those children, but there was no way he could take care of them on his own. What was he going to do?

A knock rapped on his door, and Gwaine looked up as Merlin poked his head in. “Ah, Gwaine! There you are. Come on, the kids are looking forward to spending time with you,” Merlin smiled, gesturing for the knight to join him. Gwaine reluctantly went to join him. 

As they walked to the children’s nursery (Arthur had insisted the family move back into the castle, for “convenience” Arthur said, but they all knew that the king missed being close to his old manservant) Merlin laid down the rules. “Okay, Balinor might try to practice magic, but you’ve just gotta put your foot down and say no. He usually listens when I do it. They’ve already had a treat today, so no sweets. They should be in bed about an hour before sundown, but Evie might get tired before then, so feel free to put her to bed before that. I think that’s about it. Oh! One last thing. Absolutely no drinking on the job,” Merlin warned before swinging open the door. 

“Uncle ‘Waine!” A force hit his legs, nearly knocking him over. 

“Hey there Evelyn,” Gwaine laughed, ruffling her dark curls. The little two-year-old was always excited to see him, and her enthusiasm made him hopeful about their prospects. 

“Hi Uncle Gwaine,” Balinor waved shyly. The boy was quieter than most at his age, but the quality was endearing to them. Gwaine didn’t know if it was a lingering effect of the trauma caused by Morgana (the boy  _ had  _ died) or just a part of his personality, but no one had ever really posed that question out loud. Gwaine thought that they were scared of the answer, so it was easier to think it was the latter. 

“Hiya big fella,” Gwaine grinned, scooping the five-year-old into his arms and pressing an affectionate kiss to the top of his head. Balinor protested of course, letting out a horrified ‘nooooo!’. Gwaine just laughed, setting the boy back down. 

“You’re a natural, Gwaine. Sure you don’t want to settle down and have kids of your own?” Freya teased, and he scoffed. 

“Nah, I think you lot have got it all covered,” he replied, gesturing to her slightly swollen stomach. Freya rolled her eyes fondly. 

Merlin called the children over to him. “You both be good for Uncle Gwaine. Mama and Papa will be back soon,” he told them, pulling both children into a tight hug. Once both parents said goodbye, they slipped away, leaving them in Gwaine’s care. Gwaine gulped. 

It started out well enough. The children were calm if a little sad at their parents' departure. Balinor resumed playing with his dragon figurines and little Evie stumbled around the room, sucking on her thumb. 

“So, Bal, you get up to any mischief lately?” Gwaine crouched beside the little boy, trying not to think about how two lives were in his hands. 

“Papa took me flying with ‘Thusa yesterday! It was really fun,” Balinor replied innocently, not looking up from the toy. 

“Yeah, sounds fun,” Gwaine agreed, though he himself would never dare to fly that high. The ground was fine for him, thanks. He’d leave the heights to those dragon lovers. 

“’m booooooored,” Evelyn moaned, hands on her hips. The knight sighed. 

“What would you like to do, Evie?”

“Wanna play with mama!” Evelyn stomped her feet, looking around for Freya. 

Gwaine would have to tread carefully if he wanted to avoid a tantrum. “I’m afraid your mama is busy right now Evelyn. You can play with me instead?” he offered placatingly. 

“Want Mama!” Evelyn shrieked, balling her hands up into fists. 

“Evelyn…” Gwaine warned, but the girl ignored him. She stumbled over to a table where a pitcher of water sat atop. Evelyn reached as far as she could, swiping it and smiled triumphantly as it toppled over. 

Gwaine cried out in alarm as Evie stepped into the growing puddle of water and  _ disappeared.  _ “Wh...what?!” he questioned, and Balinor laughed. “Where’d she go?!” Balinor shrugged. 

Someone yelled out in the hallway, and a little girl’s laugh followed.  _ Evelyn _ . Gwaine threw the door open and charged outside, seeing a traumatized serving girl beside a spilled bucket of water. A trail of little wet footprints led down the corridor. “Bloody hell…” Gwaine muttered before running in that direction. 

“Evie! Come back!” He pleaded as he ran after her. Gwaine smiled as he finally caught up, but stumbled when a wave of water crashed into his face, leaving his hair sopping wet and water dripping into his eyes. “Oh come on…” Evelyn stuck her tongue out. 

“Please Evelyn, for your Uncle Gwaine. If you come back I’ll… I’ll let you have a sweet bun!” He offered, knowing he was breaking one of Merlin’s rules, but desperate to ensure she didn’t disappear on him again.

“Okay,” Evie grinned, suddenly appeased, “I tired now anyway,” she shrugged before demanding to be picked up. Gwaine exhaled and complied. 

“Let’s go find your brother and we’ll get you that sweet bun,” Gwaine told her. “When did you learn to do that anyway?”

“I see Mama do it, so I try!” Evelyn informed him happily before yawning. Of course, Gwaine had been the one to discover her new ability! That was just his luck. 

They returned to the children’s nursery soon enough. Using magic for the first time must have tired the girl out because she was practically using his shoulder as a pillow. However, when he saw the door wide open and discovered no one inside, Gwaine’s heart leaped into his throat for the second time that day. 

“Not again,” Gwaine wined, and Evie began to cry after being ‘rudely’ awoken from her impromptu nap. He groaned. “Don’t cry, Evie, please. Girls who cry don’t get sweet buns,” he muttered, and it seemed to do the trick well enough. The shrill cries that made his ears ring petered out. 

Gwaine ran (well, jogged. He couldn’t run with Evelyn in his arms) down the hall in search of the child. Servants he passed gave him odd looks, and the guards patrolling the halls raised an amused eyebrow at him. 

They checked Gaius’ chambers with no luck. He knocked on Arthur’s door only to be scolded for losing one of Merlin’s children so quickly. They went round any place that stood a chance for Balinor to have run off to, but no luck. 

“Evie, sweetheart, do you know where your brother may have gone?” He asked desperately, and Evelyn gave him a large nod. “Where?!”

“To the pwincess!” Of course. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Merlin and Arthur were always talking about the children disappearing on them to play together. Gwaine had thought their misery funny then, but not now. Not ever again.

“To the princess, it is, then.”

They made their way to the princess’ nursery, but something caught his attention in the hallway. 

“Shh! Hide!” A little voice hissed from inside an alcove. Another voice was clearly trying to suppress laughter.  _ Aha!  _

“Alright, kiddos. Come on out,” he called but was only met with more laughter. Gwaine marched over. 

“Your...your hair!” Ygraine choked out between laughs, pointing a little finger at him. Balinor snickered. Evelyn giggled and pulled on his hair. Gwaine looked down at his locks and reeled back in surprise. 

_ It was pink!  _

“Change it back, right now! Your father said no magic,” Gwaine tried to sound authoritative, but it was hard to care when the children seemed so happy. He could appreciate a good prank or two. What he didn’t want, however, was to remain that way. 

“If you change it back, I’ll...I’ll...I don’t know. What do you like?”

“You don’t have to  _ bribe  _ me, Uncle Gwaine! I’ll change it back,” Balinor told him, still laughing. 

“You no fun, Bal,” Evelyn harrumphed, scowling once the pink faded back into brown. 

“Alright, alright, let’s go back to the nursery, you’ve had your fun. Ygraine, I’m sure your nurse is worried, why don’t you go on back inside?” Gwaine said, hurrying the kids in his charge on once Ygraine was back in her rooms. 

“But my sweet bun!” Evelyn cried. 

_ What he wouldn’t give to be in the tavern right about now.  _

-

“Thanks again, Gwaine, I hope they weren’t too much of a bother-” Merlin began, gesturing to the kids asleep in their beds, but Gwaine cut him off. 

“Evie has magical water powers.”

“ _ What?!”  _

Gwaine prayed he would never be asked to babysit again. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! if you have anything you'd like to see written in this universe, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments. 
> 
> kudos and feedback always appreciated :)


End file.
